Petra visitor figures hit 8-year high in March

Jerash also records 50% increase compared to same month last year

By Ahmed Bani Mustafa - Apr 02,2018 - Last updated at Apr 02,2018

Visitors tour the ancient site of Jerash on Sunday (Photo by Ahmed Bani Mustafa)

AMMAN — The total number of visitors to Petra and Jerash, Jordan's key tourist destinations, increased during March by around 50 per cent, compared to the same month of last year, according to officials.

In Petra, the total number of visitors from all nationalities reached 85,897, including 67,655 foreign visitors, 13,213 Arab and Jordanians and 5,029 school students and fee-exempted groups, according to Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA).

The number of foreign visitors increased by 60 per cent, while the number of Arabs and Jordanians rose by 44 per cent, PDTRA Chief Commissioner Falah Omoush told The Jordan Times on Sunday.

For Jerash, an ancient Roman town, the total number of visitors from all nationalities was 23,950, compared to 16,750 in March 2017, recording a 50 per cent increase, according to Director of Jerash Antiquities Ziad Ghunimat.

Ticket revenues increased to JD170,150 last month compared with JD110,500 in March 2017, Ghunimat told The Jordan Times on Sunday.

In 2017, the total number of visitors to Jerash, 45km north of Amman, reached 202,850, including 73,050 Jordanians and 129,800 non-Jordanians, with revenues that amounted to JD1038,400, said Ghunimat.

PDTRA Chief Commissioner Falah Omoush said that the figures are a “clear indicator” that tourism in Petra is recovering, noting that the number of last month’s visitors is the highest in eight years.

Omoush stressed that PDTRA seeks the development of the tourism sector in partnership with the concerned bodies and the local community.

For his part, PDTRA Deputy Chief Commissioner Suleiman Farajat said that the numbers would be a sign of a “very” promising year.

Farajat, who is also PDTRA commissioner of tourism affairs, attributed the hike to various factors, including the collective efforts of the authority and the Tourism Ministry, Jordan Tourism Board and other stakeholders.

To achieve the goal of sustainable tourism growth, the authority is focusing on enhancing the experience of tourists, improving services and upgrading the infrastructure, Farajat told The Jordan Times.